Red
by veggieman3
Summary: A gritty, more realistic look at the world of Pokemon. Kanto is a human colony well in the future which has been active for about three years, but has been pushed to the brink of starvation by the local wildlife, which became hostile mysteriously in the last year. The story follows Red, a child from Pallet Town, as he travels through Kanto after being exiled from his home.
1. Chapter 1

_Entry from the journal of Professor Samuel Oak, September 17, 2931_

_ It has been three years since our fleet of colony ships arrived at Grapis IV and our situation is desperate. Upon arrival, we found a native animal population unlike anything reported by the exploratory probes launched 50 years prior to our departure. We were told that this planet was populated almost entirely by marine life forms and fauna similar to that on earth, but this proved incorrect after we landed. In only about one century of time, terrestrial life evolved and experienced explosive levels of evolution, resulting in a multitude of terrestrial species which approaches that of Earth's in variation and seems to be constantly growing. My initial research was limited by the necessity for the colony to grow quickly in order to sustain our population, but I would surmise that in only the time that we've been here, at least ten new species have evolved._

_ Within a year of arrival, we had expanded from Pallet Town and grown from that tiny seed into an expansive and progressive nation, much like a tree and its branches. After Viridian City was built, Pewter City became our first true metropolitan area and the stress placed on us all by an overflowing population was relieved greatly. Despite splitting the fleet into three groups, each with its own continent to settle, overpopulation was a problem which repeated itself many times over. Once Pewter City had reached the limits of its capacity, Cerulean City followed and so on and so forth until the ten great cities had been constructed, each shouldering a large portion of the population problem. In the middle of them all rose Saffron City, a testament to our determination and desire to thrive on this new and alien world._

_ Each of the three colonizing groups maintained near-constant communications. The Kanto, Hoenn and Sinnoh groups each prospered, Kanto so much so that we spread to the twin continent separated from our own by only thin waterway, which we named Johto. At that point, I truly began my research into the biological and chemical nature of the native animal and fauna species in an attempt to discover the secret behind their rapid evolution and development. From the other biologists brought with the colony, I learned of greater number of species than I had ever previously suspected, each continent containing its own unique groups of animals and plants in a divide very similar to that of Earth. On occasion, we found overlapping species shared by the continents, most notably between Kanto and Johto (almost certainly due to the infinitely smaller barrier between the two as compared to the other continents). My associates, Professor Elm in Johto, Professor Birch in Hoenn, and Professor Rowan in Sinnoh, along with myself stationed in Kanto, studied these species at length._

_ In the meantime, the colony continued to grow rapidly. Our engineers set up the route system between cities and towns which were barricaded against the local animals in order to provide safe passage between urban centers as well as create easier transportation of crops from the agricultural centers. Cars and trucks and trains and planes were commonplace, creating a constant stream of travel and exploration. The colony had become a marvel of modern technology and innovation. A unique culture had developed here, determined in part by the environment in which we lived and the people who had come to this new world. A new invention called the "Capture Ball" had allowed the colonists to bring some of the local wildlife into our communities. By that point, we barely resembled civilization on Earth. That was at our peak._

_ The problems began soon after that. A wealthy businessman from Viridian City named Giovanni Desoti acted upon a radical business proposition which would throw everything out of order. Giovanni had the idea that the local wildlife, being so different from those found on Earth, would make for fantastic pets with the proper use of the Capture Ball. However, he was dissatisfied with the "limited" selection of the natural world and, in secret, began a project to create new life to sell to the colonists. To do so, Giovanni tracked down one of the rarer and more wondrous species of this planet, an animal which, for reasons yet unknown to us, has abilities similar to telekinesis and telepathy. Once he had found a sample of this species, Giovanni obtained a sample of its genetic code and used this to clone the species with his own modifications. What was created brought about our downfall._

Pallet Town was silent, its doors closed and its windows shut. The buildings were plain and unremarkable and seemed almost to be crouching in an effort to hide from the world. Interspersed amongst the standing houses were the skeletons of abandoned and empty homes, their interiors dark and the paint on their walls flaking. These corpses rotted in plain sight, their darkened windows looking like the empty sockets of a skull. In the second story of one house, a boy stared out of the window, looking at one of these broken down constructs. He wore a pair of faded jeans and an old, red windbreaker which had seen better days. On the desk next to him was a red baseball cap with a green swoosh over a white background on the front. One look at his sullen, green eyes showed that this boy was anything but happy.

Red watched the streets, looking for his mother unsuccessfully. The sky outside was bleak and grey. Without even going outside, Red knew that there was a cold, bitter wind blowing angrily through the town, encouraging its inhabitants to stay indoors. Finally, he tore his eyes from the window and, after jamming his cap backwards onto his head, walked downstairs.

Ever since he had been six, Red had never been called by his birth name even once. His bright red hair had stood out in a community in which almost everybody else had dark brown hair. Once the other kids had started to make fun of him, Red had taken to wearing his baseball cap at all times to hide his hair from the world. But he had made sure that the hat was red in an effort to be a part of the joke rather than to run from it. Now, he could be recognized by his hat, which he wore backwards each and every day. Thankfully, the bullying had stopped shortly after he had begun to wear the hat and so it had become Red's most valuable possession.

The room downstairs was mostly empty and bleak. A single couch squatted in front of a television, its screen dusty from disuse. Red couldn't remember the last time that he had seen the television lit up and blaring. As the other cities and towns had been cut off one by one, news had become more and more limited until finally many of the stations had gone dark, showing only static when the family attempted to find out what was happening. Red looked at the couch sadly. Its cushions were indented from extensive use but the man who had left them hadn't sat there in nearly three months now. With a sudden jerk, Red hurried into the kitchen so that he didn't have to see the couch any more.

Rather than being a completely separate room, the kitchen was only separated from the living room by a single wall which jutted out into the space and only blocked the view of the television and the couch, which at the moment, was exactly what Red desired. However, the kitchen was no more encouraging than the living room. The refrigerator, which had used to hum cheerily, now sat in the corner silently. Red had long since gotten over the habit of checking the refrigerator for food inside. Dishes sat out on the counter, unused and dusty. In the corner, an empty bag which had once held food sat, crumpled and forlorn. For a few minutes, Red stood there and stared about the room, remembering a room in which his mother had used to practically dance through, her singing carrying through the house and promising tasty food in the near future. The specter of that seemingly distant past slowly faded until Red was left alone in the empty and desolate kitchen.

At that moment, the door clicked and opened and out of the chill came his mother. She wore a long coat wrapped tightly around her. Her hands were stuffed into two of the many pockets and the color of the jacket was raised to cover her neck and part of her face from the elements. Red watched as his mother kicked the door shut behind her and stood in the entrance shivering for a few seconds before taking the jacket off and hanging it up on the stand next to the door. Beneath her coat, she wore a bright yellow dress with a red belt around her waist. Both had once been cheery and playful, hinting at a happy mother and wife. Now, the colors had faded and the fabric was worn in spots. Rather than cheerful, the dress had become a pale mockery of its former self and the joyful life which the people of Pallet Town had once lived. Red watched his mother carefully and without moving, trying to see if she had brought any food.

After a few moments, Red's patience ran out and he shuffled his feet noisily. His mother jumped slightly and turned around to look at her son. Instead of saying anything, as Red had expected, she simply stared at him, her eyes unreadable and her hair hanging down in a tangled mess. Finally, Red saw his mother gulp and took a step towards her hopefully.

"I'm so sorry, Red."

The boy froze in place, his foot having barely touched the ground. His eyes fixated on the ground at his mother's feet, confusion rife in his mind. Slowly, he dragged his eyes upwards to meet his mother's, which were filled with sorrow and pain.

"What are you apologizing for?" asked Red fearfully, sensing danger upon the horizon. His mother didn't answer, just stumbled past her son and sat heavily upon the couch. Her head drooped and ended up in her hands as a sob wracked her body. Unable to move, Red stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. He had never had to comfort his mother before, not even in the past few months.

"Mom, what happened?" When she lifted her face to look at Red, his mother's face was one of pure anguish and torment. Tears ran down her cheek and dripped from her chin to land on the worn fabric of her dress. For a few seconds, his mother tried to find the necessary words and repeatedly failed, an incomprehensible stuttering the only sound that she seemed capable of making. Finally, she closed her mouth and took a few moments, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. When she looked her son in the eyes, Red knew that his mother had found the words.

"There was a meeting today, honey," began his mother. "We were making some important decisions about the town." She paused for a moment and when she began again, she rushed through the explanation in an effort to get it over with as quickly as possible. "You know we've been a little low on food recently, and so we were talking about what to do to deal with the shortage. And we decided that there was no way to feed everyone anymore. So we need to have somebody leave so that the rest of us can live." A frozen pit had appeared in Red's stomach as he began to understand what had happened. "We wanted to make sure that whoever stayed would have the best chance of living if they had food. So we…so we decided that the ones to leave should be children since they might not live anyway. Nobody wanted to lose their own child, but we knew it had to be done." Her eyes were desperate, seeking acceptance and understanding from the 10-year-old to whom she was giving a death sentence. Red only stared at her numbly, waiting for her to say the words that he knew were coming.

"It was random," his mother choked out, barely containing a sob. "It was completely random so that it would be fair. Everyone had an equal chance. You…the one that was selected…" His mother finally broke down, the fragile calm which she had barely constructed in an effort to explain cracked and shattered. All that remained was a mother who was coming apart piece by piece until all that remained was the deepest, darkest part of her being.

"It's me," finished Red, the numbness spreading to his brain so that his thoughts came to a complete halt. The world around him blurred until everything had run together and become one jumbled mess. From a distance, Red thought he could hear voices speaking. They echoed slightly, as if they were coming from far down a hallway. At first, it was just two voices.

"Dad, where are you going?"

"I'll be back soon."

"But where are you going?"

"I'm going to Pewter City."

"Why?"

"People's lives are in danger." A third voice spoke joined in.

"Honey, let someone else help them."

"You know I can't do that."

"But we need you here!"

"Don't go Dad!"

"Goodbye…" The other two voices screamed, rising in volume until they nearly overwhelmed Red. Suddenly, he snapped back to the present and once again he saw his mother weeping, but from a curious angle. Red was confused until he looked down and realized that he had fallen to his knees without realizing. They sat there in the house, one crying tears of anguish and the other simply on the ground, staring into space.

All of a sudden, Red felt the need to move, to run, to jump, to scream. Without so much as a warning, the boy bolted to his feet and practically flew out through the door. His mother was too busy with her tears to notice and the last Red saw of her before the door closed, she was still on the couch with her head in her hands. Then the door closed with a bang and he was running away blindly, tears finally appearing in his eyes and blinding him as they welled up. Red ran for minutes, then hours, then years. He ran into the future and saw himself, now an adult, living happily in Pallet Town with a wife and kids. Then the image became black and white, the color bleeding out of it as the figures slowed to a halt. Finally, the image shattered and Red stumbled to the ground, smacking his head on the rough earth as he rolled over, finally coming to a halt several feet farther on. While he pushed himself up and tried to recover, his vision swam and Red felt cuts and scrapes paining him all over his body. Tears dotted the ground in front of the fallen boy, wetting the dirt in dark little dots. Red sat there, crying, for a long while before the tears began to stop flowing. When he had finally regained control over himself, Red noticed something terrifying.

He had run out of Pallet Town onto Route 1.

At that exact moment, Red heard a rustling in a nearby bush. Still sitting on the ground, Red hadn't even gotten to his knees before something leapt from the brush and charged at him. Before it caught him, Red saw that the animal was some kind of large rat with purple fur and gigantic front teeth. Then the thing rammed into him and Red no longer cared what it looked like. All that mattered was escape.


	2. Chapter 2

_Entry from the journal of Professor Samuel Oak, December 9, 2916_

_ We've finally completed our first settlement, which we have yet to name. While the town is fairly crowded, everyone is happy to be safe behind the barrier and we are ready to begin the real work. The barrier is a wonderful invention which was developed back on Earth for use in securing the initial settlements. It is created through the placement of four nodes around the area. Once these nodes have been activated, a field is formed connecting each of the nodes together. Every time an individual attempts to pass through this field, the nodes scan for genetic identification. Anything which does not have a human genome is identified and meets with a strong electromagnetic field which will repel the individual. This has provided us a completely safe area clean of any foreign bacteria or viruses that could prove fatal to humans. Unfortunately, the barrier is currently limited to a ten mile by ten mile square and so we find ourselves limited on space. However, the engineers have already begun work on the nodes in an effort to make them more powerful, which would allow us to create larger settlements._

_ My work has begun in earnest. Yesterday, I exited the barrier in a protective, air-tight suit which provided a clean supply of oxygen for approximately two hours. During this time, I collected as many samples as possible, including local fauna, dirt, animal feces, and anything else that I could find in the immediate area. These samples will be tested and examined to determine the nature of any bacteria that we can find. I am working with the hypothesis that there will be nothing unduly deadly to humans due to the extreme atmospheric and environmental similarity to Earth, however we must be sure before travelling outside of this settlement._

_ In truth, I can barely wait until this initial research is finished so that I may move on to the study of the local wildlife, which fascinates me with its immense diversity. During my initial foray beyond the barrier, I identified at least five new animal species as well as about twenty plant species. And this was simply based on morphological differences which could be seen! I wonder at what genetic testing could show us! For the foreseeable future, I will be unimaginably busy, but happily so._

Red rolled on the ground, trying to shove the rat-thing off of him. There was a sudden, sharp pain in his arm and Red screamed as the rat bit down on even harder into his flesh. In desperation, Red rolled onto his back and tried to push the thing off of his arm, but it refused to release its bite as the blood welled up between its massive teeth. As he struggled, Red felt the pain only grow and despair began to grow within him. Just as the boy was about to give up, a gunshot exploded behind the wrestling pair and suddenly the rat was off of him. Red slowly pushed himself up, keeping his weight off of the arm which the rat had injured. Several feet away, the animal was lying in the dirt, mewling pathetically as blood seeped from its side. From behind Red came a crunching sound and when he looked over his shoulder, he found an older man in a lab coat. The man's fair was completely grey and wrinkles covered his face like roads on a map. In his left hand, the man carried a strange ball-shaped object while in his right, he carried a rifle.

"Prof-professor Oak!" stammered Red, relief rushing through his body and almost making him go limp. After a quick glance to make sure that the boy was no longer in danger, Oak strode past Red briskly and knelt down next to the rat, which made a weak hissing noise which came out in a rattle.

_Ratatatatatatatata_, hissed the rat, its flanks rising slowly up and down while it struggled to draw breath. With a look of pity, the professor extended his left hand and touched the animal with the ball in his hand. With a flash of red light that was nearly blinding, the rat disappeared and the ball began to twitch lightly in Oak's hand. After a few seconds, the ball came to a rest and a red light went on at the circular marking in the center of the ball. The professor nodded briskly and pushed himself to his feet with a groan before turning and helping the boy to his feet.

"What were you doing out here?" asked Oak gently. "You know better than to leave the barrier. The world is a dangerous place, Red." The boy stood shakily, holding his arm as blood continued to ooze slowly from the wound. Red sniffled, trying to deal with the pain while also answering Professor Oak.

"I'm sorry, Professor," replied Red, his head hanging. "But why does it matter? I have to leave anyway…" With a sigh, the professor began to walk back into town.

"Come along, Red," said Oak, his voice sad and tired. "I'll take you to my lab to patch up that bite." After a moment's hesitation, Red followed, walking gingerly as the many tiny hurts from his fall pained him. The boy did not so much as look up as he walked with the professor towards the laboratory. Deep within Red, a small pit of anger began to grow, burning as hot as a coal and gaining strength with every painful step and every throb from his arm. He could see every person who he had lived with for years, every person who he had known, and he could barely believe that each of those people, who had smiled with him, laughed with him, and watched over him were now telling him that he had to leave and venture out into the world which had taken his father. By the time that Red reached the lab, the anger throbbed in his mind like a tumor, enveloping and devouring every other thought and turning them sour.

"It's terrible, what they're doing," said Oak, his voice still weary and drawn. As he walked deeper into the building, the professor set down his rifle and took out the ball which he had used to make the rat-thing disappear. "I couldn't believe that they could convince themselves that it was right. Sending a child out because times are hard." Oak snorted in disgust while he worked at a strange machine. After he pressed a few buttons, the top began to glow and the professor placed the ball on the surface. Now that he had a chance to look more carefully at it, Red could see that the ball was divided into red and white hemispheres with a lock-like mechanism in the center. When the ball had sat on the device for a few seconds, a hole opened beneath it and it was lowered down on a small platform. With a click and a flash of red light, the animal which had attacked Red appeared. It lay on the machine exactly as it had been on the ground, its wound bleeding and its breathing ragged and shallow. Then a light passed over it and a dome slowly rose from the opposite side of the machine from red, hiding the rat beneath it. Oak walked away from the machine and began rummaging around his lab through piles of equipment and papers while Red looked back and forth between the professor and the machine.

"Oh, don't worry about it," said Oak over his shoulder. "After the Medi-Center finished up, our little friend will be good as new." The confusion with which Red had regarded the machine now turned to anger and the boy kicked out at the machine. "Hey!" shouted Oak, whipping around on the boy. "What are you doing?" Red nearly cringed before the professor's anger before the anger took over.

"That thing bit me!" shouted Red. "I hate it! I don't want it to be ok!" In a rage, Red turned and shot another kick at the machine. Before his foot could connect, Red felt himself pulled away from the Medi-Center. When he turned around to scream at the professor, to beat at him with the rage pent up within the exiled child, Red came face to face not with anger in the professor's face, but pity instead. Kneeling down to look the kid in the eye, Oak looked at the boy with unmistakable sorrow in his eyes.

"Red, I am so sorry for what has happened to you," began the professor. "It's unfair, it's wrong, it's cruel. But you can't let it change you, son. I want you to see something." Oak turned around Red so that the boy was watching the Medi-Center again. With a cheery little ding, the dome receded, revealing the animal, which was now energetic and active. Instead of leaping at the pair, the rat sniffed at them before huddling down away from them. Professor Oak approached the medical device and held out his hand to the animal, which retreated to the far end of the surface. Red watched in astonishment as the animal which had attacked him so viscously barely five minutes ago now cowered before the professor.

"See? They're more frightened of us then we are of them. At least when they're brought within the barrier." Oak pressed a few buttons on the Medi-Center and the animal disappeared with another flash of red as the ball reappeared from within the machine. The professor picked up the ball and held it out to Red. "Something outside of the barriers is making the animals overly aggressive, but whatever it is appears to be blocked by the remaining barriers." Red cautiously took the ball from the professor's hand, glaring at it all the while. Holding the ball at arm's length, Red rotated it slowly, deliberately avoiding the small white circle in the center. He brought the ball closer to him slowly, regarding the red hemisphere carefully. In the smooth, red surface, Red could see his own face reflected back to him. Suddenly, the red paint turned transparent and the animal's face appeared on the other side, sniffing at the boy. Red cried out and dropped the ball as he tumbled back and scrambled away. When the ball landed, it popped open and after yet another flash of light, the rat-thing appeared next to the now-opened ball. It stood still for an instant, tense and nervous, before bolting to the other end of the room to hide behind a pile of equipment.

"Sorry about that, Red," said Oak. "I forgot to warn you about the lock release mechanism. You're not the first to be scared by it." The professor bent down and picked up the opened ball and shut it with a click. Then he pressed the white circle in the center and a red light shot outwards and into the pile of equipment. When the light returned, the chittering of the animal disappeared and the ball made a little musical noise. "I'll have to explain how they work before you go," muttered the professor as he set down the ball upon the Medi-Center again and returned to digging through the clutter of his lab. Red stared at the ball as it sat innocently on the flat surface, unimposing now that no animal could be seen looking through its surface. Finally, Professor Oak stood up and made a triumphant sound as he held something up to look at in the light. When he turned back to speak with the boy, Oak held a red, rectangular object in his hand.

"Red, I know what you're going to go through is terrible and it's hard to think about doing anything right now, but I need you to do something for me. And I'm going to help you to do it," said the professor hurriedly as he approached Red, who was still sitting on the floor of the laboratory. "Our main problem right now is that each of the separate cities and towns are completely separated and communications have been cut. Nobody has any idea what's happening anywhere else. We have no idea whether the others have survived and if so, what state they're in. I've been trying to put together a group to leave Pallet Town and attempt to reestablish contact with Viridian City, but I've been suffering from a lack…volunteers." At this last explanation, the professor gritted his teeth, his voice thick with disgust.

"Now I know this sounds hard," continued Oak, "but I'm going to give you a few things that will help." The professor held out the object in his hand and gestured for Red to take it. As Red took the object and studied it, Oak explained it to the boy. "That is a magnificent device which I just recently developed. Its primary function is to record information on the native wildlife. To get information on an organism, just flip the lid open and press the large button while pointing the camera at whatever you want to scan." As he explained the device, Oak pointed out each different piece and gave the boy a little show of how to use them, all while continuing to talk. "Now, it's better if you can capture an example of the species. The Biodex- that's my name for it- is directly connected to the Capture Balls and can get information directly from them." At Red's look of confusion, Oak paused and considered his explanation for a moment before a look of realization passed over his face. "Ah right, you've already seen the Capture Balls, but I haven't explained them."

Oak quickly walked back over to the Medi-Center and picked up the ball containing the animal which had attacked Red. The professor brought the ball over to the boy and began to point things out on it. "As you've already seen, the Capture Ball can transfer an organism- not a person, I made sure of that- inside for containment. While there, whatever is contained remains in a state of stasis unless the owner of the ball wakes them. To do this, you place your thumb on the top of the red hemisphere and hold it there for a few seconds, which is what happened when you saw the animal before. When you want to release the individual from inside, press this little circle here in the center." The professor demonstrated by pointing at the little white circle which Red had tried to avoid earlier. "To capture an organism, just touch it with the same circle. One thing," Oak said, his voice suddenly forceful. "The animals can break out of the ball if they're strong enough. Always attempt to wound the animal somehow before attempting to capture it."

"How am I supposed to do that?" asked Red, frustration clear in his voice. The professor stared at him in confusion for a moment before another look of understanding passed over his face, followed quickly by one of deep thought.

"Hm…I can't give a gun to a child," pondered the professor. His eyes flicked down to regard the boy. "But all things considered, this is a special situation…" Oak paused, his hand covering his mouth as he thought. Finally, he came to a conclusion and walked over to a different pile of equipment and pulled out two things which Red couldn't quite see. "Have you learned how to fire a gun, Red?" asked Professor Oak.

"Yes," replied the boy quickly. "Dad showed me how last year." Nodding, the professor walked up and extended his left hand to the boy. In it, he was holding a handgun and something which looked like a clip of ammunition. Hesitantly, Red reached for the weapon and picked it up carefully. He set the clip down nearby and flipped the gun over to check the safety but found that it wasn't there.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Red, but there's no need. That is a shock gun and a secondary battery for it. If both batteries are drained, you can charge them using any source of electricity," explained the professor. Oak nodded in approval before extending his right hand. In it was a wide and skinny case made out of metal. Red took the case and placed it on his lap before releasing the clasp and allowing the case to open. Within were three more capture balls, their surfaces impeccably clean and gleaming. As Oak explained, he pointed to each ball in turn.

"These three are different species which I found in the last year. Each are young, potentially recently hatched. The first is a lizard which can cause a metabolic reaction within its gut which allows it to release flames from both its mouth and its tail. The second is an animal which resembles a large turtle from earth. It stores water within its shell and can shoot it out through a siphon when it's in danger. The final animal has undergone a fascinating process of symbiosis with a plant species which lives upon its back. It eats plants while the plant on its back provides it further energy through photosynthesis." Red looked at each ball in wonder as the professor continued to explain. "Red, I'm going to allow you to choose one to take with you. I need the other two for my research, but you can take the third with you for protection. I have no idea how well it will work, but it's worth a shot."

As the boy ran his hand over the balls, the professor began to mutter to himself. "I'm forgetting something. What is it? Ah!" Oak clapped his hands once and picked up the Biodex from where Red had set it on the ground. "I forgot to explain what the secondary and more important function of the Biodex is. When you get to Viridian, connect the Biodex to any computer and it will connect that computer to a Biodex that I have with myself. That will allow me to communicate with the people there." Red had noticed a slight pause just before the word "when" and knew that the professor has almost said "if." Nodding, Red took the Biodex and slipped it into his pocket while he picked up the gun and the extra battery. Meanwhile, Professor Oak continued to speak, detailing each aspect of his upcoming trip and equipment. The boy nodded at each pause, all the while considering each of the Capture Balls. Finally, he chose one and closed the lid on the other two. Oak thrust a bag filled with supplies into his arms and Red thanked him profusely. When he finally left, Red was laden down with all of the equipment which he had received in the lab.

Instead of returning home to a crying mother and an otherwise empty house, Red walked off to a nearby group of trees which hid him from view. One by one, Red set down his new equipment except for the Capture Ball. Slowly, Red ran his thumb down over the curvature of the ball to the lock. After a moment of hesitation while his thumb lay on the white circle uncertainly, Red pressed the button firmly and blinked at the red flash which followed. Then he looked at his new partner.


	3. Chapter 3

_Entry from the journal of Professor Samuel Oak, July 17, 2919_

_ Incredible breakthrough in my research. The engineers finished developing a device for the live capture of the native wildlife which I have named the Capture Ball. This wondrous gadget is about the size of a baseball and can capture anything, regardless of size or weight. And it is extraordinarily easy to use. One must simply touch the creature with the locking device and it will be absorbed into the ball (I asked the engineers to explain the process to me, but the explanation ultimately escaped my understanding, I am sorry to say). Once the creature is subdued within, the only action necessary for its release is a simple press of the same locking mechanism which was used to place them inside the ball. It has been tested repeatedly and proven highly successful. The only failures occurred with certain individuals who proved strong enough to break through the barrier, but such species merely had to be weakened somewhat before capture (this was done in humane ways, generally through the application of a drug which induces sleeping)._

_ This invention has made everyone happy. For myself, I now have an easy way of obtaining and storing organisms for my research. I have already undertaken no less than a dozen expeditions into the wilds outside of the settlements to capture subjects for study. The businessmen are ecstatic as well, due to their belief that the Capture Ball will allow them to create a business selling the captured animals as pets. Rather than having to keep the different animals in cages and kennels, the stores will only need to place the Capture Balls on stands and allow their customers to look inside. Although I do agree that this is a phenomenal business opportunity, the idea of using this fantastic invention for something so base repels me. Instead, I remain focused on the potential research benefits of the Capture Ball. I will contact my fellow biologists as soon as possible to inform them of this invention and to convince them to urge their local entrepreneurs and engineers to begin producing the Capture Ball as quickly as possible. While I do not enjoy the continual inclusion of men and women focused on exploiting these wondrous ideas for monetary gain, it is the perpetual curse of the scientific community that we must rely on people such as these in order to further our own designs._

In front of Red appeared a big lizard, standing approximately up to the boy's waist. Its skin was bright red everywhere that Red could see and it had two very small bumps on its back which seemed to be shoulder blades. A tail, about half the length of its body, trailed the creature, ending in a rounded point. Small claws, which did not look particularly dangerous, adorned each hand and foot, white and sharp. The creature looked around the crop of trees in interest, moving ungainly on its hind legs until it saw Red standing beneath one of the trees and it stopped. Its eyes narrowed and it opened its mouth, revealing small, stubby teeth. The creature hissed at Red and dropped down onto all four legs while raising its tail threateningly. Suddenly, a flame about the size of Red's fist burst from the end of the tail and the lizard belched a small ball of fire in the direction of the boy. Red cried out in fear and jumped out of the way before he realized that the ball of fire had gotten barely a foot out of the thing's mouth. When the boy stood back up and straightened his hat, the lizard began to eye him uncertainly and back away, all the while attempting to seem threatening.

The boy slowly moved from his spot at the base of the tree, keeping his eyes trained on the flaming lizard and one hand on the stun gun which he had received from Oak. As the animal continued to back away, Red remembered what the professor had said about the rat-thing which had attacked him on Route 1_. See? They're more frightened of us then we are of them. At least when they're brought within the barrier. _With slow, deliberate movements, Red reached for his pack, sliding his hand around inside without actually looking at the interior so that he could keep watching the lizard. Finally, he found what he wanted and pulled it out slowly so as not to startle the animal. Even so, when it saw his closed hand emerging from the bag, the lizard hissed angrily and continued to back away, the fire on its tail beginning to flicker and die off. Then the boy extended his still closed hand towards the lizard. When Red finally opened his hand, he revealed a small piece of dried meat.

The red lizard instantly stopped its retreat and sniffed curiously at the boy. While the obvious hostility hadn't disappeared, the lizard seemed less likely to either flee the crop of trees or attack Red in panic. Its tail lowered slowly and the flame finally disappeared completely. Seeing indecisiveness become clear in the animal's behavior, Red gently tossed the meat across the clearing so that it landed just in front of the lizard. Without a moment's hesitation, the animal snapped up the meat and gnawed at it. Its small, pointed teeth had difficulty tearing the tough morsel, but eventually, the lizard finished its meal and stood up on its hind legs to regard the boy, who still squatted next to the pack, watching the animal. The two looked at each other from across clearing, neither of them stirring until the lizard ran its rough, orange tongue out of its mouth to lick up any remnants of meat.

Finally, Red picked up the Capture Ball, which had fallen to the ground and remained there throughout the confrontation between the boy and the animal. The boy pointed the ball at the lizard and pressed the lock, closing his eyes against the red flash which followed. After opening his eyes again, Red gathered everything and placed it in his pack before beginning to make his way back to town. As he walked, Red considered his situation and the animal which would now accompany him on his journey. Although it had no longer seemed openly aggressive towards Red, the lizard had also displayed no signs of trust or comfort with its human companion. While the fire which it had shot from its mouth could be helpful, Red would also need to feed it if he ever released the animal from the Capture Ball. Unless he could trust the beast completely, Red wasn't sure that he wanted it out of the ball. Thoughtfully, Red looked at the ball as he held it in his hand and placed his thumb on top of the red half. In an instant, the lizard appeared, returning the boy's gaze from within the confines of its container. It opened its mouth, but Red couldn't hear whatever sound it made. The two stared at each other as Red continued to walk, boy and animal both trying to get a read on each other. Then Red slipped his thumb off of the ball and slid it back into his pack.

Red opened the back door to his house and listened for any sounds coming from within. Almost immediately, he heard his mother crying, her sobs coming from the living room. With a grimace, the boy opened the door a little farther and slid into the house, trying to be as quiet as possible so that his mother wouldn't hear him. Fortunately, the stairs were right by the door and only provided a moment of visibility from the couch when Red first started his ascension. Then he was out of sight and allowed himself to breathe again as the sounds of weeping covered his steps. Once he made it to his room, Red set his pack down on the bed and began rooting around, looking for anything and everything that could prove useful. Within his desk, the boy found a few snacks and a Med-Pack. Red unzipped the pack and looked at its contents: a container of Medi-Gel, three injection tubes filled with anti-infection medication, a roll of bandages, and several bottles of pills. He grabbed his second pair of shoes from the closet as well as a few odds and ends. Finally, Red picked up a picture which stood next to his bed on a nightstand. In the picture, a younger Red stood next to a beaming man who had the same red hair as the boy. The man had his hand on Red's head and his eyes practically sparkled with joy. Red stared at the picture sadly for a few minutes before setting it down on the bed next to the pack. Then he upended the bag and shook everything out to see what supplies Professor Oak had given him.

On his bed, Red now had five Capture Balls in addition to the one which contained the lizard. Next to these were the Biodex, another Med-Pack, the stun gun as well as its additional battery, and several cans of beans. Red stood there silently for a nearly half a minute, regarding the supplies which would have to last until he reached Viridian City. With a nod, the boy began to repack the bag, organizing everything neatly so that he could find whatever he needed quickly and easily. Finally, Red took a last look around his room and sighed. Many memories, both good and bad, came to life in that moment. He saw his mother coming in to wake him up for Christmas, a father and son playing cards and he heard the sounds of laughter echoing within the walls. These specters pulled at Red, begging him not to go, not to leave the comfort of this room. But then the boy recalled the emptiness and loneliness which he had felt while looking out of that window over the past year and the pleasant memories shattered with a shriek of pain and loss. Red shook himself and tossed the pack over his shoulder before he left the room in which he had grown up for the final time.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Red looked down to see his mother blocking the door at the bottom. Her eyes were red and puffy from shedding tears only minutes before and she stood resolutely in her son's path. "You don't need to go yet, Red," she said, her voice shaky and uncertain. "They said that you could have a few days before you have to leave." After a moment of hesitation, Red glared down at his mother, anger pouring from his young body and a fierce expression upon his face.

"What's it matter, Mom?" demanded the boy in fury. "I have to leave sometime. Sooner is better than later, right? That way, you'll all get more food for yourselves." Red practically spat the last few words, his disgust hitting his mother with an almost physical force. With each word, she cringed and took a small step back until the way was clear once more. Red descended the stairs and pushed past the visibly battered woman, but before he could make it out of the door, his mother gave one last effort and lunged to grab his arm.

"Please, Red. You know that I would do anything to let you stay," she sobbed as she held onto her son in a fit of desperation. Watching his mother silently, Red felt a twinge of pain when he saw fresh tears clear on her face and the dark rims beneath her eyes. Then the hot pit of anger returned anew, roaring back to life in his stomach to quell the rise of empathy which had threatened to overtake him. After a final moment to collect himself, Red looked his mother directly in the eyes.

"Would you take my place?"

His mother looked at her son in shock, her eyes widening and her grip loosening. Red took the opportunity to pull his arm free from her hand and walk out into the bleak afternoon sunset. Behind him, the door closed with a bang and then there was no sound, only silence to accompany the end of Red's life in Pallet Town. Lights flickered on throughout the town, illuminating families within their homes, holding each other tight as each parent imagined their own child being forced to strike out on their own. And at the back of each of their minds, they all imagined an even worse fate: they imagined themselves walking out onto Route 1 as an exile. Each of them would do their best to forget Red and to forget what they had done to him. They would justify it by saying that somebody needed to go in order to save the town as a whole and many of them would probably be able to sleep at night. At that moment, as he watched Pallet Town carry on as if he had never existed, Red felt another surge of anger, but it was mixed with something else: determination. Red decided that he would complete Professor Oak's request and he would survive to return to Pallet Town one day and remind them of what they had done. With that thought burning at the forefront of his mind, Red turned his back on the only home he had ever known and stepped out onto Route 1 for the second time that day. His life in Pallet Town had ended and his journey had begun.


	4. Chapter 4

_Entry from the journal of Professor Samuel Oak, February 4, 2920_

_ I have made tremendous progress in my study of the animals and fauna of this planet. I've taken hundreds of samples from the captured organisms and I have begun to notice a genetic consistency between the species. Their genetic code is extremely similar to ours, with nucleotides forming the code from which proteins are produced. However, these species experience a mutation frequency far higher and more rapid than our own. But even more remarkable, the life forms of this planet have developed the ability to silence mutations that are harmful to the organism. Thus, every mutation which is expressed is beneficial. As a result, the species of this planet are capable of rapid and massive evolutionary jumps in an astonishingly short amount of time. This is clearly the explanation for the sheer number of different species which exist as well as the incredible number of vastly different phenotypes._

_ Having understood the nature of the differences between these species, I now intend to switch my focus to their reproductive patterns and lifecycles. I have not yet been able to identify the differences between the genders and I have only begun to identify which differing phenotypes are representative of a juvenile and adult form of the same species. My hypothesis is that many of these different species undergo an even more obvious morphological development during the transition from childhood to adulthood than the species on Earth. Many, in fact, undergo a metamorphosis similar to that of the butterfly. These methods of development astonish and amaze me and I am determined to understand the reasons and causes for these various and curious methods of growth._

_ Ah, another development that I nearly forgot. I have recently begun communicating with a man named Giovanni Travino, a young businessman who shares my interest in the native wildlife. He has very recently made a considerable amount of money through the trade of captured animals as pets. But Giovanni is more interested in the actual biology of these animals than any other man in his industry. He tells me that his constant interaction with the various organisms has brought to his attention my own work and the work of my compatriots on the other continents. I have begun to explain my studies and their results to him in an effort to increase the general understanding among the colonists about the animals and plants of this world. In return, Giovanni has given me a large amount of money out of his own personal stores in order to further my research. He is a far more engaging and open-minded businessman than I am used to and I look forward to our continued relationship._

An elderly man walked along the edge of the Viridian City barrier, looking forlornly out into the world beyond, which he had been free to explore only a few years ago. He moved slowly with his hands clasped behind his back, which was stooped with age. The man was well out of his prime and had barely been able to take these walks alone for a while now. But still, each week, the man slipped out when his daughter took the kids somewhere and patrolled the barrier to remind himself of what had once been. Today was bleak and dreary, with clouds covering the sky, hiding the sun from view and denying extra warmth which the man would have welcomed. Just like every other time that he had walked along this route, the world outside was quiet and calm. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound, nothing did anything to disturb the silence which surrounded the city. And just like every other time that he had gone on this walk, the man stopped in the middle of the entrance to the city to look out onto Route 1. Barely 100 yards from the edge of the barrier, the paved pathway had begun to be retaken by nature. Tall grass had crept back slowly until it had covered portions of the road. The man sighed and made to turn back towards the city and return to his home before his daughter returned from whatever she and the grandkids were up to. But just before he had turned his back completely, the man saw something lying at the edge of the grass.

It was a boy.

The old man stood there, completely still, as his mind whirred indecisively. Where had the boy come from? Nobody had travelled to Viridian City since Pewter City was cut off nearly three years ago, but the man could tell even from here that the boy did not live in Viridian. Regardless of who the boy was, the man could not decide what to do. He eyed the barrier nervously before returning his gaze to the boy, who hadn't moved so much as a finger while the man had watched him. While he was only a short distance from the barrier, it would be a slow and dangerous trip for the man. On the other hand, he couldn't tell how long the boy had been there already and so the man couldn't be sure whether or not he had enough time to find somebody else to come and help. Finally, after a few moments of deliberation, the old man walked out past the barrier and down the road towards the prone form of the boy. He never looked to either side to check for any beasts. The man knew that if one showed up, he would never make it back within the barrier in time. Instead, he focused solely on the boy, who remained lying face-down in the dirt.

As he approached, the man could see more details about the figure. A red hat had spilled off of his head slightly, revealing matted, red hair beneath. His clothes looked worn and damaged, as if the boy had been travelling for a long time in them. And in his left hand, which had fallen onto the path in the direction of the city, was a ball. Nothing stirred in the immediate area as the old man reached the boy. Now, when he looked at the body from up close, the man could see the obvious signs of non-peaceful wear on the clothing. Jagged rips had been torn in the windbreaker and the jeans were faded and cut open in places. The elderly man began to kneel down and examine the boy closer when he suddenly heard a hiss from nearby.

From the brush leapt a huge, red lizard, its tail on fire and its eyes narrowed in anger. The thing landed on its hind legs cleanly and immediately hissed at the man while it bared sharp claws and pointed teeth in his direction. With a cry, the elderly man tottered backwards, trying to move away from the beast while maintaining his balance. As he did so, the lizard moved in between him and the unconscious boy, its eyes never leaving the man. When he had came to a halt nearly ten paces backwards, the lizard gave one more ferocious hiss and spat fire a short distance in the direction of the man. Then it closed its mouth with a snap and watched its target, its eyes still little more than slits and its claws and tail poised menacingly.

Once his heart had stopped its frantic race towards danger, the man took a second look at the lizard and noticed something which he had not seen when it first appeared. While the animal was acting aggressively in an attempt to protect the boy, it actually looked worse off. A deep cut trailed just above one eye. Blood ran freely from this wound, flowing into the lizard's eye and finally dripping from the end of its snout. Other smaller cuts and bruises covered the animal's hide and its breathing was becoming shallow and haggard. With shock, the man realized that the lizard must have been out here protecting the boy from attackers for hours, maybe even days. The image reminded him of a memory of a dog back on Earth. He had found it in one of the dank back alleys after a late night at the bar. All he had seen was a dark lump lying at the base of a building before the animal had leapt out of the shadows between him and the lump. It had growled and bared its teeth threateningly. When a car drove past the alley, its headlights had illuminated the darkness for a moment. The man had seen that the lump was a man, his coat darkened by blood and his eyes cloudy and unmoving. Then the car had passed and the man had been left alone with the dog and the body. If he had to point at one thing which had convinced him to leave the planet, the man would have said that the never-fading image of the body hidden within the shadows had chased him off of Earth and across space, following him even to this planet.

Now this lizard dug in and prepared to protect the fallen boy from the man at all costs. Slowly, the old man raised his hands so that the palms faced the lizards on either side of his head. Then he took a step forward, also slowly. The creature hissed again and dropped to all fours, pointing its flaming tail at the man menacingly. But he only continued to move cautiously towards the boy. When the lizard continued to threaten him, the man, on an impulse, said, "I only want to help." His tone was gentle and quiet and the lizard stopped its hissing. It looked at the man suspiciously, clearly uncertain of what to do. The man repeated the words with each step and gradually, the tension left the animal until finally he stood next to it and kneeled down. The thing watched him, still looking ready to become aggressive again in the blink of an eye.

"Be calm," said the man, his voice remaining soothing and gentle. "I can help this boy." Man and lizard watched each other silently for a moment, the world around them becoming quiet and peaceful. Then the lizard wearily stood on its hind legs and walked back over to the boy. It sniffed at his fallen form before licking his face. With one last look at the man, the lizard nosed the ball which lay beneath the boy's hand. With a flash which caught the man by surprise, the lizard disappeared, leaving only the boy laying still, half in and half out of the grass. Sighing in relief, the man walked over and leaned down to flipped the boy onto his back. The ball in his hand rolled away, but the man picked it up and examined it carefully before placing it in the dusty pack which lay nearby on the path. Then he grabbed the boy, one hand under each armpit and began to drag him back towards the barrier.

Red had walked for a few hours before making camp for the evening. The first night had been cold, but Red had huddled beneath a tree and the trunk had blocked the majority of the wind. He had woken up stiff and sore the next morning after a night of constantly waking every time there was a sound nearby. After a quick meal of an apple which Red had grabbed from his bedroom before leaving, he began his second day of walking. The clouds which had blanketed the world the day before had disappeared, replaced by a bright and cheery sun which warmed the earth with its rays. The second night was much more pleasant than the first. A gentle breeze caressed Red's hair as he drifted off to sleep in the mild weather. When he'd woken up on the third day, Red had been extremely hungry. After poking through his pack, he sadly accepted that he had nothing to eat without a fire and no knowledge or means with which to make one. That day had been uncomfortable as the walls of his stomach gnawed at his strength, leaving Red tired and starving by the time he stopped for the night.

As the last light faded from the world, the boy spied a small building standing alongside the road. When he reached it, Red discovered that it was an old toll booth, its windows now dusty and cracked. The door had been rusted crooked, but Red had opened it just far enough to slip inside. The interior had little in the way of comfort. A stool lay on its side beneath what had once been the teller's window, now shattered and gaping open. One leg was broken off and the metal ended in a jagged, rusted point. Red let his pack fall to the floor with a clatter as he looked for a place to sit down and rest after the day's long walk. Finally, he slid down the wall next to the door, allowing himself to sit down heavily. Once there, Red allowed his body to relax. His legs spread out in front of him and his arms lay limply at his sides, palms down. Red stared at the ceiling as he enjoyed the sensation of allowing his head to fall to the side. Despite being left out in the elements for years, the ceiling had remained intact and the booth provided decent cover against the chilly winds. Even though he had made it inside the booth, Red shivered slightly. As the night progressed, the temperature continued to drop and the boy got colder with each passing moment.

Opening his pack, Red reached in and withdrew the Capture Ball containing the lizard which Oak had given to him. He pressed the top hemisphere and the creature appeared, looking up at Red in curiosity. The boy stared down at the animal, weighing his options. On the one hand, the night was already chilly and would only get colder. He knew that there was nothing to keep him warm in the pack: no blanket, or heat pack, or even a lighter. Without light or heat, Red didn't know how he was going to last over the next few days. At some point, he was going to need to warm up or the weather would kill him just as sure as starvation or an animal attack. The creature in the ball could potentially provide him with the perfect solution for his problem. But then he would have to dig into his meager food stores to feed it. And Red still remembered what Professor Oak had said. These animals may have been more afraid of humans than the other way around, but only within the barrier. The boy and his companion were undeniably stuck in the wilderness. If Red released the lizard and it turned on him, his only hope was the stun gun and even if he survived that, the cold would still be there.

"You can only deal one problem at a time," Red whispered to himself, the words coming even and smooth as if they were repeated. "No matter what I do, the cold will be a problem. Only one possible solution for that…" And then he pressed the lock. This time, Red had closed his eyes prior to the flash, so he did not cringe when the lock was activated. The lizard stood next to the fallen stool, its eyes quizzical and intelligent. That was what Red hadn't been prepared for: the intelligence. When he looked the thing in the eye, it was like looking at another person. It unnerved the boy more than anything else about the animal. For its part, the lizard remained calm, watching Red quietly while sitting on its haunches. Every so often, it belched a small, candle-sized flame, but otherwise it remained there, quietly observing the boy.

"Can you understand me?" asked Red. The lizard just tilted its head slightly to the side and continued to watch him. "Do you know what fire is?" Now its head tilted the other way. Red sighed. "It was worth a shot," he said as he stood up. Suddenly, the lizard thing belched out a small ball of fire. Red fell back and watched the lizard suspiciously while it looked at him happily. After gathering his thoughts, Red began to speak again.

"I'm cold. Can you make a fire? I'll give you something worthwhile." Red pantomimed his words, rubbing his shoulders with his hands rapidly for cold and pointing at the things tail for fire. Then he reached into his pack and pulled out some more of the meat which he had fed the lizard a few days before. The thing narrowed its eyes and watched the meat closely. "Fire gets you food. Got it?" Red raised the meat as he asked the question and pointed at the animal's tail. Finally, the lizard seemed to get it and it burbled happily before taking a huge breath. Then its tail lit merrily, the flame dancing and casting wild shadows upon the wall. Laughing with relief, Red tossed the meat over and, as the lizard ate it, pushed his way out into the night.

Red stumbled towards the nearby trees, looking for loose branches or twigs. Every so often, he would trip over a piece of wood and gather it up. By the time that he'd reached the first tree, he had a good bundle of sticks and fallen branches. For the first time that day, something seemed to be going right. Then he saw the eyes.

In a bush just a few steps away, a pair of red pupils stared at Red. The boy froze mid step, one foot in midair and a stick falling from his arms. For an instant, Red imagined walking away unharmed and spending the night warming himself besides a cheerful little fire. Then the eyes started to move towards Red and the boy moved instantly. The wood went flying as the he took off, sprinting for the house as something crashed through the underbrush behind him. It made some kind of call as it chased him. _Keykeykeykeykeykeykey_ it screamed, banshee-like in the night. When Red shot a look over his shoulder, he got a brief look of the animal as it leapt over a bush. While he ran, the boy heard the call multiply and when he looked back again, Red saw five sets of eyes bobbing up and down in pursuit.

Red hit the door of the toll booth at a dead run and pulled desperately at the rusted metal sheet. His panic gave him strength and the door opened almost immediately, allowing Red to duck inside and pull the door shut behind him. Moments later, something heavy slammed into the door, followed quickly by the rest of the pursuers. As Red scuttled as far away from the door as possible, the animals slammed into the booth several more times in an attempt to get inside.

When a flame suddenly appeared inside of the toll booth, Red screamed and nearly jumped out of the booth before he realized that the lizard was standing right beside him, looking from Red to the door and back again in confusion. The boy stared at the lizard, his mind gone blank and frozen while he tried frantically to force it into motion. Whatever it was that had chased him was still at the door trying to break in. Red had spotted five of the creatures, but who knew how many were out there by now. Suddenly, a dent appeared in the door after an especially loud bang and the animals outside chittered triumphantly. The door wouldn't hold long and Red knew that he had to move as soon as possible. So he waved at the lizard and jerked his thumb up towards the window repeatedly. After only the second repetition of this hand gesture, the animal nodded and extinguished the flame on its tail. Red cried out until he felt the lizard place a clawed hand on his shoulder softly. Then, with a tiny hiss, it leapt through the window and out into the night.

Red sat in the dark for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do. He listened hard to see if any sounds of fighting had broken out just outside of the window, but heard nothing. In the darkness, Red's mind screamed at him to move, to stand, to do anything but just wait for the door to cave in. But his legs had frozen in place and his arms felt weak and weary. While the banging continued relentlessly, Red sat there in shock. Slowly, his head turned and he caught sight of his pack laying opened next to him. Some of the contents had fallen out when Red had run into the booth and knocked it over. Red reached for the sack slowly, moving as if he was underwater, and felt for the things that had dropped out. Blindly, he felt one of the Medpacks and a Capture Ball lying on the ground next to the bag. When he went to put them back inside, he froze in the dark. Red had felt the corner of the picture of his father and the touch sent a fire coursing through his arm and up into his brain. The shock which had frozen his mind in place melted instantaneously and Red immediately felt alert and in control again.

He quickly shoved everything into the pack and slung it over his shoulder, then peaked out of the window. Red couldn't see anything in the darkness as he placed his hands on the window sill. From behind him came yet another bang, this time followed by the groan of caving metal. With a final glance back over his shoulder, Red pushed himself up and out through the window. After landing on the concrete which surrounded the toll booth, the boy remained still for a few seconds, looking around for the lizard. Across the road, a light flickered on for a moment just within the trees. In confusion, Red stared at the spot for a long moment before the light appeared momentarily again. This time, the light illuminated the area a little longer and the boy could just barely make out the red flesh of the lizard.

Slowly, Red made his way to the edge of the toll booth. The animals were still on the other side of the building screeching and beating away at the door. When Red peered around the edge, he saw nothing but darkness. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of movement coming around the opposite corner and quickly ducked back behind the wall. Staying completely still, Red listened, trying to hear a sound other than the creatures assaulting the door, but the racket was so loud that it was impossible to pick up anything over their screeching. After a few, agonizing moments of waiting, Red began to inch around the corner again, working his way bit by bit until his eyes had just barely cleared the edge. Whichever of the beasts had thought of checking behind the building had apparently returned to the door. Still moving slowly, Red slipped away from the wall and moved in a crouch over to the trees. Once there, Red darted behind a large tree and waited for the lizard to signal him again.

The light came from only a few feet away and then the animal was beside the boy. It made a quiet humming noise deep in its throat when it reached Red, and he in turn smiled. "Glad to see you too," he whispered before sneaking a look around the tree. All he could make out was a group of shapes milling about the door of the toll booth. Red could still hear the animals slamming into the door, but he couldn't make out how many there were or which way that they were looking. Turning back to the lizard, the boy whispered, "We have to go. Soon they'll get in and start looking for us again." While he would have liked to have returned the lizard to its Capture Ball so that they wouldn't get separated in the dark, Red couldn't risk the flash alerting the animals to their position. So the pair crept slowly through the underbrush, all the while listening for the inevitable discovery of their absence from the booth.

Before long, Red heard the horrific screech of caving metal and a subsequent chitter of triumph from the animals. After a brief pause, Red urged on the lizard as a cry of rage filled the night air, followed by the sounds of something crashing into the forest behind them. As Red and the lizard continued to move, the sounds of snapping twigs and rustling leaves followed them relentlessly. Every second, Red imagined a furious animal exploding from a tree above them to drag the boy to the ground, from which he would never rise. But the pair remained hidden from the creatures and after several minutes of moving through the forest crouched down as much as possible, Red could no longer hear so much as a leaf rustle behind them. They had escaped.

Or so he thought.

Sighing with relief, Red stood up and stretched long and luxuriously. During his crouching walk through the forest, his legs had begun to cramp and his back had grown stiff. Red glanced down at the lizard, who was sitting back on its haunches and yawning. With a grin, Red knelt down and scratched the animal at the base of its head. "I wish I was that short," said the boy cheerfully. "Maybe then I'd be so relaxed after that adventure." The lizard hummed softly and leaned into Red's hand. With a sigh, Red reached into his pack and dug out the animal's Capture Ball. "Guess we don't get to sleep tonight. Better get on our way." Ball in hand, Red stood and turned back to the road as his finger slid towards the lock. He froze with his finger touching the mechanism, moments away from returning the lizard into its ball.

Red was staring face to face with the animal that had found him in the forest.

It hung by its tail from a branch overhead, its arms hanging down beneath its head and its legs stuck out perpendicular to its body. Its red eyes glared out from within a mass of dirty, matted fur. Above the pig-like snout, which stuck out from its round body, was a grimacing mouth filled with jagged teeth, including two sets of large canines which stuck out amidst the rest, which were flat and peg-like. Boy and beast stared at each other for a moment, neither making a sound as the animal swung slightly from the branch. Then the thing took a huge breath and screeched out its call.

_KEYKEYKEYKEYKEY_.

Almost before it had gotten the sound out, it disappeared in a flash of red and fire. The lizard had tackled it from its perch and pinned it down to the ground while menacing the creature with its tail and claws. Red couldn't help hesitating for a moment, staring at the two animals as they strained against each other. Then, in a burst of motion, Red ripped open the pack and fumbled about for one of the Capture Balls. When he finally grabbed one, Red leapt at the pair with his arm out-stretched. But the animal had already gotten a second call off before the boy could reach. The red light flashed and blinded the boy, who lay still on the ground for a few seconds. When he opened his eyes, the creature had disappeared and the lizard lay on the ground, eyes wide and startled. Beside it was a Capture Ball rocking slowly back and forth. Finally, the lock glowed red momentarily and the ball came to a halt. Red slowly rolled onto his back and breathed deep and slow. After he had calmed his breathing, Red pushed himself up and grabbed the Capture Ball. He looked at it, briefly considering looking inside at the newly captured animal.

Before he could decide, the lizard hissed and began to pull at the boy. Red looked at it in surprise and saw that its eyes were narrowed and staring off into the forest intently. As if a bubble surrounding the boy had suddenly burst, Red heard what was agitating the lizard so much. From within the forest came the call of the creature's pack. They were back on the hunt.

Red stuffed the Capture Ball into his pack and grabbed the lizard's ball, clicking the lock as he threw the pack over his shoulder. The next moment, he had taken off, breaking out of the trees and bursting out onto the road. As he turned in the direction of Viridian City, Red slipped on the rough pavement. Before pushing himself back to his feet, he glanced back into the forest and saw five pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness heading towards him. Then he was running again down the darkened road.

The route twisted and turned, winding through the forest lazily. Unlike Red, the creatures could move through the trees almost as quickly as they could on the road so that they could cut through the bends which slowed their prey down. Their chittering calls sounded from behind, closer and closer with each passing moment while Red's breath became more ragged with each step. Occasionally, he passed through a thicket of grass which had grown through the cracks in the pavement and clawed their way upwards towards the sky. The blades clung to his legs like cold, dead fingers, grasping at Red as he ran by, trying to pull him back to join the lost souls beneath the ground.

The trees streaked past, black, shadowy blurs in the night which rose up around him and created a long, imposing hallway which rapidly encroached from both sides. Around the boy, the walls continued on, blocking Red in and denying him escape. Every step only brought him closer to the end of the road, a dead end where the bodies of those who had gone before lay where they had fallen even as they had desperately tried to break through the wall of the forest. Red felt panic rise in his chest, its merciless hand closing tight around his lungs and preventing him from breathing. His steps slowed as his legs screamed with fatigue and the last light of hope faded. Red finally came to a stop at a particularly sharp bend in the road and gave himself up to his fate.

At least until he saw the city.

It rose up from the forest as a monument to the mastery of man over nature. Even with its windows darkened, it seemed to be the friendliest sight that Red had ever set his eyes on. Survival had smashed through the foreboding halls of the forest and provided the boy with a last gasp of hope when he needed it most. Red took a single step towards the city, the soreness of his muscles forgotten and his mind focused solely on reaching the safety of the barrier.

When something slammed into Red from behind, he was taken completely by surprise. For a single, stunned moment, he lay on the ground, unmoving and not defending himself as blows rained down. Without thinking, he kicked out at his assailant, feeling his shoe hit something solidly and heard a growl become a whimper. Instinctively, Red rolled to his side just as another animal landed where he had lain only a second before. Not even taking a second to look at the creature, Red began sprinting towards the city, heedless of the many cracks in the road. Stumbling and tripping, Red made his way towards the protection of the barrier. But just as he cleared the final patch of grass, something hit him square in the back and his breathe flew out of his lungs and refused to return.

Once again, Red lay beneath an enraged animal as it hit him over and over with all of its strength. A particularly strong blow smashed into his chest and the boy heard a crack just before an intense pain spread through his body. Even as he screamed in suffering, more of the animals appeared around him and joined the first. Blackness crept in at the edges of his vision and moments before losing consciousness, Red felt his finger press down on the lock of the ball which had remained in his hand throughout the chase. The last thing that he remembered before slipping into the abyss was an intense heat and a bright light flaring above him. Then he was gone.


End file.
